The present invention relates to a surgical light apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a surgical light apparatus having a separate task light.
Surgical lights used in hospital operating rooms to illuminate surgical sites on patients are known. Many surgical lights are suspended from a ceiling, wall, or stand in a hospital room by arm mechanisms which are movable to permit adjustment of the location of the surgical light relative to the patient. It is common for surgical lights to be placed in a position behind a surgeon such that the surgeon's head is located between the surgical light and the surgical site. Surgical lights having a dome-shaped reflector to reflect light toward the surgical site around the head of the surgeon are known. It is desirable for surgical lights to provide a high illuminance level, to shine light deeply into a patient's body cavity, and to resist shadowing caused by interference from personnel and instruments.
It is also known to provide a surgical light having a main light source located within a light housing and having additional lamps mounted on the light housing which provide auxiliary light beams in an opposite direction from the main light source. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,539,626. In the of the '626 patent, power is alternately supplied to the main light source and the auxiliary light sources through a change-over switch.
The surgical light apparatus of the present invention provides the improved structure over such known surgical lights which mount auxiliary lights directly to a lighthead housing. The present invention permits a profile size of the lighthead to be as small as possible while still providing benefits of auxiliary lighting for the room. In addition, mounting an auxiliary light source on the lighthead housing may reduce heat dissipation capabilities of the lighthead.
The surgical light apparatus of the present invention includes a support arm assembly configured to couple the lighthead to a support surface, such as a ceiling, a wall, or a stand. Illustratively, the arm assembly includes an upper arm, a lower arm pivotably coupled to the upper arm, and a yolk pivotably coupled to the lower arm. The lighthead is pivotable with respect to the yolk so that the location of the lighthead relative to the surgical site is adjustable to a plurality of different positions.
The surgical light apparatus of the present invention includes a task light mounted on the support arm assembly to provide an auxiliary light source for the room when the surgical light is not in use. Illustratively, the task light is coupled to the yolk of the arm assembly. Controls for the task light are mounted on an opposite side of the yolk from the task light. In addition, separate controls for the task light may be mounted on a control box spaced apart from the surgical light, if desired.
The task light and controls of the present invention are located in a small area on the support arm, spaced apart from the lighthead, to facilitate installation of the task light and task light controls. Therefore, the surgical light can be sold with the task light as a separate option since the housing of the lighthead is not specially modified to receive an auxiliary light such as in known surgical lights.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.